Sonata in E-flat Minor: Piano

Name: Sonata in E-flat Minor: Piano
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-K09903
Price: 12.95 USD
Availability: InStock

By Paul Dukas

Item: 00-K09903

$12.95

Shipped

One moment…

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Sonata in E-flat Minor: Piano comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

No sample audio found.

No sample videos found.

Series: Kalmus Edition

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 60

ISBN10: 0-7692-6785-8

ISBN13: 978-0-7692-6785-2

UPC: 029156677751

SKU: 00-K09903

More about this title

About the Composer: Paul Dukas

Paul Dukas (1865–1935) was a French composer whose orchestral works, particularly The Sorcerer's Apprentice, secured his place in the concert repertoire. Beyond his fame as an orchestrator, Dukas was a meticulous craftsman who composed sparingly but with exacting standards. His piano music reveals the same architectural precision and harmonic sophistication that distinguish his orchestral writing, and his Sonata in E-flat Minor stands as one of the most substantial French piano sonatas of its era.

Dukas taught composition at the Paris Conservatoire and championed new music throughout his career. He burned many of his own works, dissatisfied with their execution, leaving behind a catalog of carefully considered compositions. His legacy rests not only on finished masterworks but on his influence as a teacher and advocate for musical rigor and craftsmanship.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

This sonata commands respect from serious pianists for its emotional depth and structural ambition. Dukas constructs an intricate harmonic language that rewards careful voicing and pedal work, making it equally valuable as a teaching piece and as concert repertoire for advanced students preparing for university auditions or recital programming.

What to expect

The sonata inhabits a shadowed, introspective world characteristic of E-flat minor tonality, with harmonic language that shifts between tonal stability and chromatic drift. Dukas writes passages of considerable lyrical beauty alongside sections of architectural complexity, creating a work that feels both intimately expressive and intellectually rigorous.

Who it's for

Advanced pianists seeking substantial repertoire in the late-Romantic/early-modern idiom will find this sonata intellectually engaging and musically rewarding. It suits students preparing for conservatory auditions, competitive festivals, or recital programs where the harmonic sophistication and structural complexity of early 20th-century French piano writing would be valued.

How to get the most out of it

Approach the harmonic language as a whole; Dukas's chromatic voice leading often obscures the underlying structure, so mapping the bass line and interior harmonic progression will clarify phrasing and prevent the piece from sounding murky.
The E-flat minor tonality sits comfortably under the hands but demands attention to the relationship between black and white keys in passages of mixed accidentals; practice slowly to internalize the topography.
Use the sustain pedal judiciously to blend harmonies without blurring rhythmic clarity; the published score offers guidance, but your ear should verify that each harmonic layer remains distinct.
Balance the substantial technical passages against the lyrical themes; this is not virtuosity for display but rather a vehicle for musical expression, so prioritize communication over speed.

How to use it

Program this alongside other French piano masterworks of the period (Fauré, Debussy, Satie) to create a coherent thematic concert, or position it as a centerpiece for a recital exploring early 20th-century sonata writing. Its substantial length and emotional weight make it an ideal anchor work for an advanced student's capstone recital.